I'm using Tubus - Cargo on the rear, Tara on the front. I'd recommend Tubus over the Old Man Mountain racks. OMM is a fine rack for touring, but they are alloy while the Tubus is cromoly steel. OMM would be the choice if you had a bike with no rack mounts, or for a front suspension bike. But for a standard rigid tourer, with rack mounts, cromoly steel is always going to be tougher than aluminium alloy. Tubus Cargo is actually lighter in weight than the old Blackburn alloy rear rack ! Same weight as the OMM Red Rock - 610g. Tubus also can supply adapter sets to mount on a QR axle if you have no drop-out rack eyes, and mounting clamps for the seat stays.

One thing to bear in mind is that alloy will actually be subject to wear over time, from your pannier mounting hardware, even from plastic hooks and bars!

Some great set-ups here.I am currently building my Hillman for an Adelaide-Melb tour in March, so I will be watching this space Ok, so this isn't really 'fully-loaded' touring I'll admit, more 'light touring.' But I thought I'd post it in here to remind folks how old road bikes don't mind getting out in the wilderness too.We camped overnight at the Brisbane Ranges National park (Vic). Nice spot.

Bit of a mix and match approach to mine. Ortlieb bags on the back with an Altura barbag on the front, with a camper longflap hanging off my brooks to keep the tweed set happy

hartleymartin wrote:Yay! Carradice!

I used to use this for commuting on my fixed wheel, I've used it on day rides, overnight trips, I've toured around Europe with it, I can fit a tent under the straps - I love it. I've even got used to the funny smell!grw

There are many different ways you can set up a bicycle for touring. I'm going to experiment with a small-wheel bicycle for touring later this year and early next year, as I have learned about some possible technical advantages. Any bicycle can be used for touring - for loaded touring just stick on a rack and some panniers and you're off. Desirable features in a tourer are stable handling, a comfortable riding position (you might be riding for long hours) and durability (it's not going to fall apart in the middle of no-where).

As you can see Road Bikes and MTB's can be adapted for touring (heavy complications such as suspension are undesirable), and even some fairly old machines can make excellent tourers. Heinz Stucke did most of his touring an a 3-speed coaster-braked bicycle, which has an unladen weight of about 25kg!

Here's my almost completed rig, thinking of going to a Brooks saddle but like the flat & long Fizik Arione at the moment. Also might change the bars for something with a bit more reach like standard mtb bars.

I use 2 bidons on the frame, have another cage for a 1.5L bottle and use a water bag on the rear rack (between the panniers and under the tent bag). I used to use a Sea to Summit 6L but after having had 2 of them delaminate I now have this MSR Dromedary 6L.

The Magic:First impressions of the Rohloff - Magic!!! Actually very quiet, but the noise that it does make reminds me of a quality fishing real

Hopefully I'll get it dialled in by the weekend, and take it for a good ride ... can't wait.

Somehow it managed to slip through customs - perhaps because it was packed in two boxes with a fully itemised parts list - saved a bundle on not having to paying GST

Could have been packaged a little better - took a bit of a scrape to one of the S&S couplings (ground a couple of teeth), but all seems fine. Bike is bloody strong!!! and all components are solid stainless. Stoked!!!

il padrone wrote:Was that the demonstrator model that SJS had for sale for 1899 pounds, or did you get it specced up for yourself?

Spec'd it myself, I did

Thorn Raven Nomad - with Trekking Bars instead of comfort bars. Pretty much the best of most of the components (not XTR brakes - couldn't justify the exta 199 GBP on brakes - are they really worth that much?).

I still can't get over how quick it got here - they only built it up on Tuesday last week. I was expecting to have to wait another week or more with Customs... shhh...

Will try and take some better pics on the weekend. I've got a nice sandy track I've been wanting to do, but needed some wider tyres - that should really give the Rohloff a work out.

I spec'd the Rohloff with 16t in the back and 40t in the front which gives 18.1 through to 95.1 gear inches. Should be able to climb a good mountain with that and loaded I doubt I'll ever need more than 95.1.

Martin, I sold our second car to be able to afford it, so now I have to ride everywhere I'll save about $1,000 a year on rego and insurance so it will pay for itself pretty quickly. Hopefully it will last me the rest of my life, so I can justify it to myself and the missus.

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